ALSO
brief biography
ALSO plays high-energy & melodic modern-rock. Conrad's vocals are deep and powerful and the band displays solid musicianship all-around. According to New York Times best-selling author, John Skipp, their music "...is, to me, as good as f#@*ing songcraft gets."
- ALSO formed in May 2003
- Receiving airplay on Los Angeles’ trend-setting radio stations, KCRW 89.9 & The Indie 103.1
- Receiving college airplay in over 40 states/provinces nationally & in Canada
- Independently booked & organized two self-funded tours in Europe and the UK.
- Music featured on MTV reality show “Sorority Life”
- featured on the XM Radio Unsigned Radar Report
- Opened for National/International touring acts including The Alarm, The Shore, The Damnwells, & The Chameleons UK
- Debut EP send them off smiling... charted in the top 30 at over 25 stations nationally
- Music featured in AMC Theatre's pre-show programming in March 2005
ALSO
full biography
Perfectly embodying today's do-it-yourself attitude, Los Angeles based indie band Also gears up for their forth-European tour and the release of two brand-new singles produced with Grammy winning producer, Warren Riker.
Having completed their third tour in Europe, the full-length debut album It Was Fine To Be Kind, and videos for Return of the Swallows and The Disappearing Heart, ALSO continues to build a large following on MySpace.com and impress fans, promoters and industry tastemakers alike with a big on-stage presence and a powerful musical resume.
In addition to their regular gig dates at Los Angeles's hottest clubs: The Knitting Factory, The Mint, Temple Bar, 14 Below; Drew Conrad (lead vocals, guitar, lyricist), Mark Zelen (bass, keyboards) and Scotland Stephenson (drums) performed ten sold out shows in July 2005 throughout the U.K. The response to that first UK tour was so overwhelming that the band was invited back in the 2008 for performances at The Soundhaus (Scotland), The Cavern Club (Liverpool), numerous shows in the West Midlands, and London's Dublin Castle. The band's second tour also included dates in Paris, Munich and Prague.
ALSO doesn't actually have to leave home to have a truly international presence; these days, the world of indie band buzz is all about MySpace.com. Before their second tour, the ALSO’s MySpace page, which featured tracks off their debut album, was receiving some 40 hits a day. Today it averages over 200, with peak days often hitting 500 or more. Just as significantly, ALSO fans have independently created a fan page on MySpace.com that has registered over 8,000 fans in just a few months.
ALSO writes and performs intellectual, arty songs aimed towards rock fans that like to think and be challenged with themes that dig pretty deep. Whether Conrad is singing about depression, suicide or good friends who turn out to be insincere, as a lyricist, he conveys true-to-life subject matter. No matter the overriding storyline, ALSO makes it a point to have an underlying element of hope in each song. That theme comes back to the inspiration for the band name itself. The name “ALSO” implies possibility. It is a constant reminder that there are many different ways to look at a given situation. A reminder not to get locked into any single point of view. The glass can be half-full and it can ALSO be half-empty. It is a concept that people can relate to, and it is clear from the international response that ALSO is receiving; people can relate to their music.
ALSO receives airplay on Los Angeles station KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and Brave New World, in addition to The Indie 103.1, and 120 stations across the U.S. They have opened for national and international touring acts such as The Shore, The Damnwells, The Alarm, and U.K.'s The Chameleons, in L.A., San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Arizona. They have been featured twice on XM Radio's Unsigned Radar Report, and It Was Fine To Be Kind charted in the Top 30 at over 25 radio stations nationally. ALSO received four months of airplay in AMC Theatres across the U.S. and Return of the Swallows was used on the MTV show “Sorority Life.” Most recently ALSO’s song Kingdom Gone was featured in a major motion picture starring Academy Award® winner Louis Gossett Jr.
Drew Conrad
vocals, guitar
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Orange County, Drew Conrad began playing music at the age of four. Initially starting on the piano, he quickly gained interest in the guitar. By age ten, he discovered his most natural talent - singing. At twelve, he fronted his first band along with brother Erich on guitar.
By age seventeen, Drew again formed a band with Erich. The music was melodic and melancholic, with Erich composing the music and Drew assuming lyrical duties. The two played as a duo for a couple of years, gigging throughout Orange County at coffeehouses and art openings. Adding bass and drums, as well as additional vocals and keyboards, the band started playing bars and clubs. In 1995, Erich departed to pursue a doctoral degree. Drew graduated college with a degree in English Literature and determined to focus exclusively on the band, known as Willoughby Station.
After playing alongside national touring artists such as The Posies, Damien Jurado, and The Mother Hips at some of Orange County's best clubs, the group saw fit to take the music up to L.A. in early 2001. Soon thereafter they found themselves playing numerous shows at The Knitting Factory, The Roxy, The Mint, and other well-known L.A. venues in support of national and international touring acts. In early 2003, the band restructured itself significantly, essentially closing the Willoughby Station era. Drew, along with Willoughby bassist Mark Zelen, teamed up with drummer Scotland Stephenson and formed ALSO.
Mark Zelen
bass guitar, synthesizers
Mark Zelen is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started playing guitar at age 15. Frustrated with a lack of available competent bass players with whom to play, Mark took up the instrument himself at age 18, aiming to “become the bass player I couldn't find.” While in college, he played both guitar and bass in a number of rock and jazz situations.
In 1990, Mark played bass in the band Let's Kill Larry. The group opened for a
little-known touring act at the time just outside of Philadelphia - that band was called Nirvana. The Pittsburgh music scene was flourishing, and soon thereafter, Mark joined critically-acclaimed local buzz band Bitter Delores. Through extensive touring on the East Coast, Bitter Delores gained much notoriety and a huge fan base. They played in New York, D.C., Boston, Toronto, New Orleans, and a number of other large cities. Among the songs that received airplay in regular rotation (on stations such as WDVE 102.5FM and WXDX 105.9FM ) was “Floss”, written by Mark.
Along with Nirvana, Mark has shared stages and bills with an impressive roster of acts, including The Violent Femmes, Modern English, Blink 182, Green Day, Culture Club, and Pat Benetar.
Bitter Delores eventually disbanded, and in 2000, Mark decided to head to the West Coast. Soon after his arrival, he met up with Drew Conrad and took up bass duties for Willoughby Station. In 2003, Mark and Drew together saw fit to redefine the band and formed ALSO with drummer Scotland Stephenson.
Scotland Stephenson
drums
Scotland Stephenson is originally from Athens, Georgia. He attributes his love for music to growing up in such a music-friendly town. Scotland has loved the drum set since he first saw someone play, and at the age of 13 got his first set after learning to read music on his first instrument, the trombone.
Scotland grew up playing in Athens with many bands including Kudzu Jones, Tangent, Walking For Days, and Dave and the Weird Factor. At the age of 16 he started gigging regularly at Athens venues such as The 40 Watt Club, The Georgia Theatre, The Atomic Music Hall, and the High Hat Blues Club.
In 2001, after graduating from college with a degree in mathematics,
Scotland moved to Boston to start the band Coalescent Blais (CB) with Leo Blais. The two started CB from ground zero and played regularly in Massachusetts with some minor touring. Scotland left CB in 2003 and played a short while for Boston based pianist/vocalist Sam Bigelow. Scotland's former bands have shared stages and bills with acts including The Derek Trucks Band, Little Feat, and Dispatch.
Scotland left Boston in 2003 and moved to L.A. in true Los Angeles style with no job and no place to live. His sole intent was to form or join a band with the determination to make it in the music industry. Upon arrival in L.A. Scotland tried out with a number of songwriters. After meeting Drew Conrad and Mark Zelen, the three formed the band ALSO.